Anything but Fiction: A CyberStories Tale
by LegendDragon14
Summary: A new story from the CyberStories universe, taking a look at a new side of the Transformers world. This story is the tale of Byris, aka Night Fang. A young wolf coming of an important age, carrying a duty to his family, a connection with a friend like no other, and the legacy of his father. All the while, hostile forces converge, threatening his pack and the life he's known.
1. Chapter 1

My life was never what you might call normal, or easy. But it really reached that level of asking yourself how you ended up here when I found myself in the middle of a war.

Wolves never really had to worry about such things. Oh yes, if you're new, I am in fact a Wolf.

My name is Byris, though a number of my friends call me Fang.

I can see why, it is easier to spell, sounds smoother in a sentence. Visually, I didn't stand out much among the wolves of Cybertron.

Slate grey was a common coat coloring, though the blue highlights did help a bit.

I'd had a patch of white fur on the top of my helm since I was a newborn, Phoenix always told me she liked it, so I let it be.

She would always play with it, teasing it upwards into a style she called "fauxhawk". This made it pretty easy to spot me among the pack.

Believe it or not, Cybertron was once vibrant with life, all kinds of creatures roamed it's surface.

A huge war that would determine the fate of an entire species, and not just one single planet, but two.

How did I become entangled in such a mess? Well, I suppose it all started back when I first crossed paths with her.

Phoenix.

I remember that night well. Very well. It's one of my childhood memories that remains perfectly intact, probably because I revisited it so often.

I was out hunting one night, as a young pup of about 6 years. I've always had a preference for hunting at night, for a multitude of reasons.

Some of my fellow wolves in the pack started calling me The Night Fang.

At first I hated being called something that wasn't my given name, but I soon came to love the secondary name.

But as I lay alone in the forest one night, gnawing on a rabbit I had just caught, I noticed a scent that was new to me.

I stood up from my prone position, gazing around at my surroundings.

I spotted something moving a short distance from me. A Sentient.

These bipedal creatures were native to this world just as we were, but seemed to think they were above us.

Perhaps they mistook our inability to speak their language in early times as a sign of lower intelligence?

However the standard came about, it was firmly held today in their society, despite the fact that we had adapted their language as ours as well.

Wolves and other creatures like me, which they referred to as Primitives, they were taught to look down on.

They've never held any semblance of respect for any species besides their own, with very few exceptions.

Every now and then, I'd witness one or two Sentients acting kinder towards one of us, but those occurrences were quite rare.

I watched the Sentient closely, noticing she appeared to be very young, as I was. She also appeared to be injured, and I could smell energeon.

She sat down on a fallen tree and sighed lightly, putting her helm in her hands. She looked troubled by something.

My mother had taught me early in my life about Sentients and their hostile nature towards anything they couldn't identify, taught me to avoid them for my safety.

But she was small. Smaller than even I was, if even by a little. And injured. She didn't appear to be in any condition to harm me, at least not to any concerning degree.

So what if she did? What else was I supposed to do, leave her there, injured and alone?

"Are you alright?" I asked her, speaking softly.

She yelped and fell back, whimpering in pain and holding her arm tenderly. I could see energeon leaking from the agitated wound.

I looked her over, taking in the state she was in. She looked helpless, injured and tired.

I felt a wave of sorrow, abandoning my prey and slowly stepping forward. I gently nudged her to a more comfortable position and lay close to her, offering myself as support.

"It's alright. You can lay on me." I assured her.

She hesitated, but gradually relaxed into a comfortable pose.

"Are you alright?" I asked again.

She shook her helm softly, "I was poked today in my arm and it still hurts."

"Someone hurt you?" I questioned, concern appearing in my tone.

"Not on purpose." She explained, "There is something wrong with me and the medics over at the hospital can't figure anything out. I go in every week to see if I've made progress and they give me an IV to take some of my energon."

I couldn't help but scoff lightly. It was funny to me that Sentients thought of themselves as intellectually superior, yet their society still had many flaws.

"Sentient medical cures are so weird." I responded.

"How do you take care of your injuries without a hospital or doctors?" She asked, seeming curious.

"We have healers that care for us. They're basically magic. They use this glowy stuff, and it just heals the wound right up, like it was never even there." I explained.

"I wish I had that." she responded, relaxing further, "By the way, I'm Phoenix, daughter of the famous Commander Sideswipe."

"I am Byris, eldest son of Tyron." I responded. As a young one, I was quite proud of my family title.

Tyron, my father, was the Alpha at the time, which made me your equivalent of a Prince among the pack.

"B... Byr... Byri... What?" She struggled to pronounce the name.

I tried to suppress a small laugh. "I know it's an unusual name for you Sentients. Just call me Fang."

I figured my secondary name would be easier for her to say.

"Why Fang?" She asked.

"Night Fang is a name my pack calls me sometimes." I explained.

She nodded in understanding. "Thank you Fang. I need someone to talk to. I don't have many friends."

I thought for a moment. With my father being the Alpha, I rarely had many others to talk to either.

"Why don't we do this? We will meet here every night, from now on and I'll be your friend you can talk to." I suggested.

She nodded, smiling as she got up.

"I better head home. My parents might catch onto the fact I'm not there. Bye Fang!" She called as she ran off.

"Bye Phoenix."


	2. Chapter 2

I blinked my fond memories away, realizing I had gotten lost in my own thoughts as I stared at my reflection in the water's surface.

It had been years since that night, I still couldn't believe how many. I was now 16, as of less than a day.

Phoenix and I had kept the promise we made, meeting almost every night. She ranted about all the trials she was facing, I told her about my family and the pack.

She may have just been rambling about her annoyances, but I found it enjoyable. A sort of glance into Sentient Life.

Though, lately our meetings have started to become less frequent. I made the effort to appear each night, to be there for her, even when she started missing nights.

I figured her home life kept her busy, maybe she had to work longer on her assignments for the academy.

My optic caught my messy white helm fur, slowly I reached up and brushed it back lightly. Even when Phoenix wasn't nearby, I kept it formed in the style she gave it.

"Byris…?" my brother's voice tugged me back to reality, "If you were seeking my council, why is it you've found the river so intriguing?"

"I asked for your council because of personal matters, not so I could hear your political ramblings." I responded as I looked back up at Obryyn.

My brother he was indeed, we looked almost identical apart from his highlights and optics being a yellow-orange color, and the obvious white helm-tuft he lacked.

He may have been almost a year behind me in age, but my brother's intelligence was far superior to my own, to virtually the whole pack to be truthful.

I didn't usually mind it when he went off on his long winded speeches, but this one in particular I'd heard more than a few times that week.

"I was… getting to that." he murmured.

I laughed softly, making my way up the river bank.

"Well, with all of that, it's no doubt late in the morning by now." I explained, "Think you can stay on topic on the way back?"

"I can," he answered, walking beside me, "Though you may not be fond of the topic I had in mind."

"Myth."

"Myth."

I sighed lightly, "I know, I've heard this speech as well."

"Brother, I'm merely suggesting that before you make a decision, you might find it important to consider how your choice could affect _every_ aspect of our lives." Obryyn clarified.

"And I'm merely suggesting that in a case such as choosing a mate to spend the rest of your life with, you might find it important to consider your own feelings rather than political gain." I turned his passive-aggressive phrasing back on him.

He went quiet for a moment, I assume to think of a better counter.

"...Be that as it may..." he mumbled, taking a second before speaking again, "Being entirely realistic, I'm not one to change your mind, am I?"

"Being realistic, you had the highest chances of doing so. But still, not likely." I replied honestly.

It was true, Obryyn and I had a close bond as siblings.

"_I_ had the highest chance?" he questioned, seeming somewhat surprised, "Are you certain _I'm_ your preferred medium for life advice? You did just forgo me in favor of running water."

"Come on Obryyn, you're my brother. True, I've technically known our sisters a bit longer, but do you honestly think I'd take _their_ advice? Especially on matters like this?" I answered.

"True… One would be very wise to take their so-called 'life lessons' with a fair amount of skepticism. Sometimes I wonder how they've managed to keep themselves alive and well for this long." he agreed softly.

Our sisters had a bit of a notorious reputation in the pack. Their care-free lifestyle was admittedly entertaining to be around at times, but as an actual example? I think not.

"Careful they don't hear you say that." I cautioned him jokingly.

"Oh the wrath of the Ancestors strike me down." he responded sarcastically.

"I think even the Ancestors fear the wrath of our sisters." I replied.

We both laughed softly, climbing the tall hill up to familiar land. My home, the Burrow.

You see, with Sentients claiming most of the available space on Cybertron, we Wolves had to get a bit creative to survive.

An open field surrounded on all sides by mountains so treacherous no Sentient would dare try to explore them, though from this side they appeared calm, inviting.

The only access to the outside lands was through a short tunnel dug into one of the mountains, hidden by trees and vines, just enough to be inconspicuous.

Most of the open space was usually occupied by the few dozen wolves living in the Burrow, the surrounding walls carved out into spacious caves that served as individual dens for each family.

At the peak of the incline, just as the full scale of the Burrow came into view, we were met by two familiar faces.

"About time you got back."

My sisters, indistinguishable if not for the difference in their highlights.

Mercury, mint green. Lithium, bright pink.

Every other visual detail about them was perfectly identical, even their voices were nearly perfect matches.

My mother, Failyn, lay comfortably beside them. Finally, my youngest sibling, a hyperactive pup named Aldos, perched on her side.

"We were starting to think you ran away on us or something." Lithium finished her sisters' thought.

They did this quite often.

"I was contemplating that option after a while." I teased my brother, nudging him lightly.

He scoffed, a small smile fighting its way onto his face as he rolled his optics. He had to have gotten used to our comedic jabs at his intelligence by now.

"It was rousing, you merely lacked the proper attention span." he returned, smirking.

"Well, everyone knows how easily Obi gets carried away with his speeches." Lithium commented.

"You just have to take what he says with a 'fair amount of skepticism', right sis?" Mercury added, the two smiling evily to each other.

Obryyn froze in place, as I quickened my pace to get a safe distance from him.

"Well….uh...w-we all know I tend to ramble...a bit..." Obryyn stammered desperately, "...sometimes I lose track of myself...you know…?"

He slowly sidestepped towards our mother, looking right at me.

"...Byris…?" he pleaded quietly.

"Do not even look in my direction, I play no part in this." I teasingly denied his plea for assistance as my sisters stalked towards him.

"Come on girls, don't you think 2 on 1 is a bit unbalanced?" my mother commented.

"I suppose it is." Mercury replied.

"But that's entirely the point!" Lithium added, lunging at Obryyn.

The poor fool tried scrambling away from them, to ill effect. Lithium unsurprisingly caught him in a tackle, both of them tumbling back down the hill as Mercury chased after them.

I watched as Mercury pounced on the others, my three siblings converging into a rolling, writhing pile of tails and limbs.

"I withdraw my statements! I withdraw!" Obryyn yelped helplessly.

I couldn't hold back a soft laugh, watching my siblings.

"Unruly, every single one of you." my mother mumbled through a soft giggle.

"We just like to keep you on edge, keep things interesting." I joked.

She laughed softly, going quiet for a few seconds.

"I take it you've heard about the summon?" she spoke up again.

"Yes." I answered, "And I'm certain I know what it's about."

"I know your siblings have shared their opinions on the matter." she responded, "But you know what's right. You always do."

I smiled lightly. I always did try to keep to a rule my father set.

'Nobility over Greed.' I repeated the line in my mind.

"We were all summoned, so we should all be presentable tonight." she added.

"So I suppose I should step in before they maul him too badly." I chuckled, glancing back to my siblings.

My sisters had Obryyn helplessly pinned down on the river bank, pawing and nipping at him playfully. Seeing an opportunity, I sprinted down the hill.

Rearing up, I thrust all the force I had gained into my sisters, knocking all three of them into the river.

"Wasn't it you that taught me to always watch my flanks?" I taunted my sisters, only to then have Aldos charge me and tackle me into the river as well.

This is one of my fondest memories.

Me and my four siblings, splashing around in the river, dunking each other, pawing and shoving and nipping.

At one point, Aldos had wrapped his arms around Lithium's neck and pulled her down into the water, Obryyn seizing the window for revenge.

"Well done Aldos! Hold her down!" he encouraged, launching a vengeful attack on our partially incapacitated sister.

I laughed at the display, distracted long enough for Mercury to sneak up on me and shove my helm under the surface.

Simpler times.

Fonder times.

When it was all so… simple.

…


	3. Chapter 3

Apologies, I... got a bit lost. Where was I?

Oh yes.

After my mother managed to get the five of us rounded up, we returned to our den to prepare for the evening ahead.

Later on, as the sun began its descent, my family started off towards the Alpha's den. I stayed behind, finding myself alone by the entrance of our den while my family moved on without me.

I gazed up at the Alpha's den, a large cave carved high above the others. My ancestors had created it, positioned it to overlook the entirety of the Burrow.

My father never looked at it as being above the pack, in terms of social standing. He made sure to remind me as well.

It wasn't looking down on the pack, it was watching over them.

His ideals were admirable, I always strived to come close to the kind of wolf he was. But this new Alpha, he held very different ideals.

I sighed lightly, brushing my helm tuft back to reform it. I wished Phoenix was there, someone I could talk to about all this, without a biased opinion being forced on me.

A femme, one the entire pack had come to recognise made her grand entrance. "I have arrived!" Her perky voice announcing her arrival.

I did not know why she needed to be this loud when it was only me.

She was a light gray color at her base, bubblegum pink highlights outlined her frame. Her optics were a vibrant lime green color, the color accenting her light colored form nicely.

I knew the femme. Quite well in fact.

"Did you miss me?" The femme asked, trotting up to me, a huge smile across her face.

"I'm sure many did..." I responded.

Even with the most frustrating of people, I always had a disposition of kindness. Almost always. Usually. I tried, anyway.

"How did the excursion fair for you?" I asked politely.

"Mmmm." She hummed and ruffled up my tuft, frowning slightly at it. "Why do you still have this?" She asked, changing the topic. "I thought she abandoned you."

"She still turns up... occasionally." I replied, ducking away from her slightly, "Sometimes the daughter of a high ranking leader gets busy. You of all would know about that."

"But she's a_ sentient_." She almost hissed the word. "You have to let her go. The only thing she will bring is chaos and destruction."

She growled softly before instantly turning her mood around and becoming perky again. "But with me, you could become Alpha!" She squealed and rubbed up against my body, licking my cheek gently.

A sign of affection.

"We could have 12 kids, all of which would have your dashing looks." She paused and looked at my tuft again. "You know, without the extra accessory."

"A...generous offer...Myth." I replied gently, casually fixing my tuft, "It's...certainly a lot to think about, especially with tonight and all."

"You have nothing to worry about Byris!" She giggled and licked my faceplates once again.

"I'm still not certain if I should invoke it, or even could." I explained, being honest, but not completely honest.

"Come on. My sire absolutely adores you! He would so let you win to be with me." She purred in my audio receptor. "You should take the chance! A chance to be with me!"

"Me as the Alpha?" I wondered aloud, a part of me hating how that even sounded. I gazed again up at the Alpha's den, remembering the wolf that once stood on that ledge, teaching me the ways of the pack.

The thought that I could take that place, that I could carry his legacy as it deserved to be, was I ready for something like that?

"I'm not so sure..." I whispered, more to myself than to her.

"Come on." She grabbed my paw and started dragging me out of the comfort of my home. "We are going to be late to your big day!"

I was basically forced to go along with her, though I was required to be there anyways. When the Alpha invites you to his own den, you can't exactly refuse.

As we walked up the dirt path, the femme kept rubbing against my form, seeming to push me into giving her affectionate actions back.

My relationship with Myth was... complicated. That being, there wasn't one. Not that she seemed to notice or care about that fact.

I tried signaling her time and time again, but she didn't seem to notice I never returned the affectionate gestures.

As we walked up the path, I attempted quickening my pace just a bit, though she did the same and remained beside me the whole way.

It wasn't until we actually reached the den that she stepped away from me, if only a few steps.

Within the large, open cavern, a table had been set. My siblings lined along one side with my mother at one end.

"The guest star has arrived!" She yelled into the den, loudly announcing that the both of us were there.

Her father, the Alpha, walked up to the two of us, a friendly smile on his face. He held a somewhat imposing appearance, dark grey colors and sharp red highlights.

"Byris, welcome. We were just about to begin." he spoke in a diplomatic tone, which I knew was completely fictional.

I nodded lightly, taking a spot at the table as he took his, at the opposite end as my mother.

It was traditional that the head of family took the end spots.

"Father, don't you think Byris and I would make the perfect couple?" The pink femme asked as she sat next to me, leaning on my form. "The most powerful Alpha and Beta, below you of course." She giggled.

Baron smiled lightly at the two of us, as I felt pressured more than usual to hide my dodging of her advances.

She smiled. "I think we would be perfect. And I know you want grandpups."

He chuckled lightly, but I knew what he was thinking. He only had one child, that being Myth.

If something were to happen to her, he would have no one to carry on the family lineage and keep the role of Alpha.

Everything he did was about protecting his position. Everything.

"Now, I'm certain most of you are smart enough to figure out why I've called you here." he started, glancing around the table, before his gaze rested on me.

"I understand that the day before was in fact the day you reached adulthood, correct?" he questioned.

"Yes, as my entire family made sure I was aware of." I answered, smiling to my siblings.

"Have you decided whether or not you'll invoke the right of Challenge?" he asked, again trying to sound diplomatic.

"I have not." I answered, "It is a heavy decision to consider."

"That it is." he responded, his dark red optics studying me, "You know Tyron was a close friend of mine. Very close. I did promise him I'd look after you all, in his... absence."

Faylin let out a quiet sigh. "Byris has managed quite well without Tyron around." She pushed, hinting at the fact that Baron hadn't done anything to help me through the years.

"Well, except for the fact that he's been mingling with sentients." Myth pushed in, rolling her optics.

"Myth, come now. Tend to your own business, shall we?" Baron cut her off, somehow still sounding sharp through his falsely composed tone.

She rolled her optics once again. "But it's true."

Lithium tried to hide a smile. It was quite well known that the Alpha did not approve of my... odd choice in friends.

Most of the pack knew about my meetings with Phoenix, the news had spread fairly quickly once it was known to a few.

The evening meal carried on, mostly in silence. Myth constantly begging for my attention.

Closer to night fall, I found myself outside the den. Myth and Lithium had gotten into a debate, and I was not keen on lingering in the line of fire on that one.

I sat on the ledge, gazing down at the Burrow.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Baron commented, sitting beside me, "To think this place was created from nothing. A hole in the mountain range, transformed into such a glorious landscape."

"I suppose so." I answered simply.

He tried to hold a commanding image, straightening himself to gain every inch of height he had on me.

He always kept up an imposing, authoritarian appearance, but I saw through the facade. Still, I acted as though I respected his image.

"Tyron had many ideas for the future of this place. Always thinking ahead." he rambled, "I learned from him, every bit I could."

He hesitated for a moment, before looking at me.

"I did promise him, I'd look after his family. And I fully intend to, the best I can." he explained, "You and Obryyn, you're like my own sons, I see so much potential in you both."

"Your sisters could use some discipline, Aldos has a long way to go, but I'll be there for you, all of you. Where I can, with the best intentions at heart." he continued.

"...I'm sure my father would appreciate the gesture." I responded, playing into his act.

He nodded lightly, looking down towards the river. After a moment, he spoke up again.

"No one would blame you, if you chose to step down tomorrow. It isn't required to invoke the right." he spoke softly, no doubt avoiding being heard by the others around.

"I can assure you, I will care for you and your family as I would my own. But your father had a vision. A strong vision. Wouldn't you rather that vision be carried by someone who knew him, helped him build it?" he added.

That insufferable bastard. He dared to speak of my father's vision, the vision he so actively worked to destroy, with such false respect?

"...I certainly have a lot to consider." I responded, remaining calm and collected, "I thank you for your generosity tonight."

I got up, walking down the path.


	4. Chapter 4

I followed the path, attempting to sooth my infuriated thoughts. To have some self-preserving fraud sit there and tell _me _about my father's wishes?

Anyone who knew me would tell you I was a fairly mellow individual. Even as a young pup, I rarely ever got even mildly upset.

But now, with all this? I was thoroughly aggravated. So much so that I lost track of my physical surroundings.

I only snapped back to reality when I suddenly bounced off of something.

Or… someone.

I found myself face to face with a stranger, a wolf I'd never seen before. Now, in your world this might not be all that surprising, to come across a new face.

But within the Burrows, it was a very close knit group, everyone knew everyone. So when a new face suddenly appeared, it was noteworthy.

"uh...apologies...I..." I started.

The wolf didn't react at all, staring at me blankly through narrow purple optics. His form was pure jet black, in the night time setting he almost looked like a shadow at first glance.

After a few seconds of silent staring, he simply moved around me and continued up the path. I watched him walk past, finding that he maintained his blank stare as he moved past me.

The expression he carried was unsettling. Emotionless, yet the optics carried such focus, concentration.

He finally looked ahead and carried on his way, leaving me perplexed for a moment before continuing on my own way.

I needed to clear my thoughts, this frustration was starting to fester. I made my way across the Burrow, exiting through the tunnel and wandering into the forest.

It may have been selfish, but I wished Phoenix was there. I could always talk to her about everything, even if she didn't have any advice to give at times, it still helped just to talk about it.

Putting it into words, just being heard, it helped me process it all so much easier. It was easier to think in general, when she was around.

I felt like myself, at ease.

My siblings always pestered me about her, and I told them our meetings were still going on. But in honesty, it had been a few years since I had seen her.

I started going out less and less, part of me losing hope that she would one day appear. But a larger part of me still believed that one day I'd see her sitting there.

I sighed lightly, gazing around the forest before me. Something caught my sight, something that didn't naturally pop up in a forest.

It appeared to be a tent, a very rugged one. Cautiously, I approached the structure, watching for any signs of life within.

Suddenly, one side of the cloth was yanked open from within, and I found a blaster aimed at me.

I instantly froze in place, as the inhabitant slowly became visible, leaning into the moonlight.

"Fang?" A familiar voice asked, confirming the unbelievable sight before me.

"Ancestors above… **Phoenix**?"

It was her! She was here! Taller, since I'd last seen her, in fact she'd finally passed me in height, not by a great deal, but still.

Though...something was off. She looked weathered, sorrowful.

"What…What are you doing here?" she asked, stuttering a bit.

"I just..." I paused, "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"I…I…" she stumbled over her words, switching to a new thought, "It's been years."

I started to reply but stopped for a second, "y...yes...it has, hasn't it…?"

She was hiding something, for whatever reason. It had to be something significant, for her to hide it from me. We talked about everything, or… at least we _had_.

There was an awkward silence between the two of us, before I spoke up again.

"Have...you been living here…?" I questioned, looking around at her makeshift living space.

"Yes…" she mumbled quietly.

"...would...you like to talk about...what happened?" I asked softly, trying not to press her too hard if it was something she truly didn't want to discuss.

"I…" she sank to a seating position, "That… bully? The one I ranted about years ago…"

"Reflector, was it?" I replied, remembering that discussion very well.

"Ya…" she nodded gently, pulling a knee to her chest, "The dare he gave me… turned out to be a plot. A plot to use me to get to the Autobots, specifically Optimus Prime and my Sire."

"Megatron found me and cut into my leg, egging my Sire or Optimus to break. My Sire broke first. I don't remember the fight super clearly, all I know is that I caused a battle between the two factions, one that led my Sire straight into intensive care…" she stopped, her breath shaking.

"And eventually to his one and only meeting with the AllSpark." she continued, "My Carrier refused to let me back into the house. She disowned me… I've been out here ever since."

I stayed quiet, slowly pulling her into a gentle hug.

"I have nowhere to go…" she whispered.

Was I about to do this? Yes… Yes I was. I had to, what was the alternative? Leave her out here to suffer, alone and afraid?

"Yes you do." I responded.

"W-what?" she asked gently, "No I don't. I haven't for years. I mean sure, I train at headquarters but I don't have any actual barracks there. There aren't any available."

"Phoenix, you've always had somewhere to go." I insisted, breaking the hug to look her in the optics, "All you had to do was ask."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Me. Phoenix, I mean… me." I clarified.

She started to speak in protest, but I stopped her.

"There is more than enough space in the den, my mother would absolutely love you, honestly, and I'm certain Aldos wouldn't mind having someone else to listen to his endless barrage of unanswerable questions." I explained.

"But, you told me about your pack's hesitance on sentients, Fang. I don't belong there. I am exactly what they fear. Actually, I'm worse than what they fear. I'm a sentient who killed her own Sire." she murmured.

What?

That...couldn't be true. It couldn't. Phoenix would never kill anyone, let alone someone she talked about in such high regard.

"None of that matters. You can't live like this, my mother wouldn't have it, and neither will I." I asserted.

She looked back at me, letting out a shaky breath before nodding gently.

"Fine…" she gave in.

She packed up what few belongings she had, following my lead into the forest.

"You know, I didn't imagine I would look like this while meeting your Carrier." she mumbled quietly.

"You honestly think she cares about appearances?" I responded.

My mother was honestly the kindest spark in the pack. I knew for a fact the moment she saw the state Phoenix was living in, nothing else would matter. She would want to help, same as me.

It was my siblings I was worried about. Not that I thought they would have issue with her, exactly the opposite. I just hoped my eccentric family didn't scare her away.


	5. Chapter 5

"Just...something to remember..." I started, "We don't see very many outsiders so...they'll be a bit timid of you for a while, but they'll get used to you, I promise. Just be you, you're a delight to have around."

I assured Phoenix as we arrived in the Burrow. It was quite late in the night by then, only a few other wolves were still roaming the grounds.

"At least here they don't know what I've done." she replied softly, "Umm... Where to?"

"Up this way." I answered, heading towards the line of caves carved into the mountains.

I led her to the far end of the line, a larger cave with a few smaller rooms joined by one spacious, open room at the entrance.

My family's home, for the first half of my life.

In one of the smaller rooms, Obryyn and my sisters were gathered, all asleep.

"Byris? Where have you been?" a soft voice came from another of the rooms.

"Mother...you...are still...awake..." I responded quietly.

I had hoped I would at least have a single night to get Phoenix settled in without being barraged by questions.

There went that.

"And you are as well." she countered, "Is this...Phoenix?"

"Y-yes...she is..." I answered.

"I nearly forgot Fang wasn't your real name." Phoenix whispered to me.

"I do apologize I couldn't look more pleasing." she then addressed my mother, bowing just a bit to her, "Nice to meet you."

"Nonsense dear, I've found myself in far worse conditions many times. It's just nice to finally get to meet you as well." she responded with a light tone that disappeared when addressing me.

"I am more than happy to have her here, but why only now?" she asked.

She had a point, I had the thought of bringing Phoenix here, or at the very least letting her meet my family, many times. Though, this was around the time our meetings grew distant.

"Something's happened...she...she needs somewhere to stay. For the time being." I answered.

She looked to Phoenix, a warm smile coming to her face, "Of course, I'd be honored to have you stay with us!"

"I do appreciate it." Phoenix replied, smiling softly, "More than you know."

"It's not even a worry dear. If you ever need anything, I'm the first one you talk to, you hear?" my mother declared.

"Of course." Phoenix replied.

After my mother dismissed us for the night, I led Phoenix to the room that was typically mine.

I say typically, because with four siblings, designating space rarely meant anything. We usually just found a spot anywhere we liked at the time and called that a sleeping space.

Obryyn was the only one who really tried to stick to the designation rule, mostly because he made his own bed and used the smartest tactic of doing so.

Even I had to admit, the one he made is far more comfortable than the others we had, and this meant our sisters tried to steal it from him quite often.

Case in point, the state I had seen them in just now.

A wolf's equivalent of a bed, at least in this pack, was a fairly large circle of leaves and grass bundles packed together.

With Phoenix here, I lay close to the edge of mine to give her respectful space.

"It's not as cozy as one of your beds, I apologize." I whispered.

"Don't apologize." she responded, sitting near me, "I just... feel odd intruding in your home. After so long of not talking..."

"You're a friend. A good friend. Which means you're a friend of my entire family. Think nothing of it, really." I assured her, "If you need a home, you have one."

She smiled gently and leaned against the wall, stretching out a bit and closing her optics.

I went quiet, allowing her to rest until she fell asleep. Once I was sure she was comfortable, I allowed myself to rest.

I usually woke early in the morning, regardless of when I actually got to sleep. This morning was no exception, as I blinked myself awake in the dim early morning light.

Phoenix was still fast asleep, bringing a slight smile to my face knowing she was safe, and felt that way.

I sat up slowly, careful not to wake her. As I stretched my limbs and neck, something caught my attention.

Someone sitting in the entrance of the den.

I stood up rather quickly, my sight focusing on the stranger. It was the black wolf, the one I had run into as I left Baron's den.

He stared his blank stare at me, motionless, as if he were a statue carved from stone. I stepped forward into the main room of the den, at which point he stood up.

For at least a minute or two, we stood there, staring each other down. In the dim morning light, I could make out his face more clearly than the night I first saw him.

His highlights were dark purple, jagged and rough. The most notable detail was his mouth, or rather, the lack thereof. Small, vertical indentations lined across his muzzle where one would be.

I glanced over to the other rooms, picking up a small rock and tossed it at my sleeping brother. It bounced off his face, startling him awake.

He started mumbling swears at me, stopping when he took notice of the black wolf.

"...another friend of yours brother...?" he whispered, slowly getting up and walking out to meet me.

"I seem to have a lot of those, don't I?" I responded.

The three of us stood there, staring each other down for almost a minute before finally, the black wolf slowly turned and walked away.

First I'd seen him going towards Baron's den, now he was showing up outside of mine? I doubt that was a coincidence.

"Watch Phoenix, I should be back before she wakes." I explained simply, starting to follow the wolf.

"What? Me? Watch her? W...where are you...?" he began objecting.

"Just watch her, please." I responded dismissively, having to keep up with the wolf.

He was moving at a casual pace, which was easier to catch up to. I followed him from a safe distance to avoid detection.

I noted he seemed to be moving towards the Alpha's den, until suddenly making a sharp turn and rounding a corner.

I slowed my pursuit as I rounded the corner as well. The wolf was waiting for me, making a quick strike that I was just fast enough to avoid.

He followed up rather quickly with a sweep to my front paws, knocking me to the ground and pressing a paw into my throat.

His strength was far superior to my own, as I discovered while attempting to wrench his grip from me.

"Let him up, Sabre." Baron commanded as he walked up to me.

The wolf, I assumed was named Sabre, instantly released me and stepped back to give me space to get back up.

"A personal guard?" I questioned, rubbing my sore neck, "Why the abrupt increase in Security?"

"Sabre has been accompanying me for sometime, though recently he's had to be less inconspicuous than usual." He responded.

"Would that have anything to do with the Challenge?" I asked, slightly accusatory.

"No other possible causes would cross your mind?" He returned, "Maybe the heavily armed Sentient who infiltrated our home last night."

"You make it sound like a hostile intrusion." I responded.

"I wonder what might have given me that impression, besides the satchel full of weaponry." he retorted.

"She was invited to stay here as a friend, and was graciously accepted by us _all_. If you spend your life looking for false enemies, you may find you lose the few allies you have." I commented.

I took a look at Sabre once more, before turning to leave.

"I would suggest you make an effort to appear by the fire pit at midday. I have made a decision." I declared as I walked away.

A decision I had made indeed. I knew what I had to do.


End file.
